I have acquired quite a bit of digital downloads over the last few months. I have them all organized by designer which seems to work well for me. My question is this:

I would like to hear from anyone who reads this about whether or not you unzip/extract your files (.zip or .rar) and then delete the .zip/.rar file? Or do you keep both?

Here is what I have been doing and I wonder if it's not the "best way":

I have been keeping all of my beautiful products zipped/compressed and I when I want to use something, I will extract the files, keep the .zip/.rar file and when I am done using the items, I delete the file that I "unzipped" and keep the .zip/.rar because I don't want to have both on my external hard drive taking up unnecessary space. I know, you're probably wondering, "How the heck do you find anything!?!??" Well, it isn't easy....hence my question. I think I am going about this the wrong way. But for some reason, I have a hard time deleting the original .rar file that I downloaded (I have no idea why).

What do you do? Do you unzip everything and rid of the compressed files?

Maybe I am completely wrong.... does the zipped file and the unzipped file take up double the space? Based on what I have seen, I think that it does.

Okay, so that's my question. Any and all comments would be very much appreciated.

Thanks,

Candice

sharpli

10-25-2008, 01:37 PM

There's amazingly little difference between the size of a zipped file and the unzipped version. A kit I just downloaded is 172 Mb zipped and only 175 unzipped.

For that reason, I unzip everything and discard the zipped files. It's the best way to look through a download and see what you've really got. After I unzip and organize in one file folder, I use Windows picture and fax viewer (right click on file name to start) and look at each of the parts and begin to plan my layout.

Another alternative is to burn your zipped files to a CD or DVD for archive purposes - a safeguard in case of a HD failure.

kimberkatt

10-25-2008, 02:16 PM

I do exactly what Linda does! I unzip & then delete the zip file! I used to burn all the zip files to DVD, but I've stopped doing that because it's just as hard to find anything with a zip file on a DVD!! I have so many scrap supplies, it's hard for me to remember what a kit looked like just by it's name! Now, I just burn the folders to DVD... and then I tend to forget about them! :rolleyes: LOL! I really only keep SAS stuff and some of my CU stuff & templates on my computer... everything else gets burned when I have enough for a DVD!

There really is no "easy" way to organize, you have to find what works for you! But I definitely recommend unzipping when you download, because sometimes a zip can get corrupt while downloading, and you don't want to find that out a few weeks down the road when you can't download again!

Charlie's Digiscraps

10-25-2008, 07:43 PM

I always unzip to make sure the files are ok and everything is there..i use to delete the zips(i still do mainly) but lately i have been keeping anything especially bought stuff as ive stuffed up and accidently deleted files and couldnt get them back as they had already expired:(..so im trying to be extra carefuil these days..sorry not much help:rolleyes:

tiza126

10-26-2008, 04:18 PM

After I unzip everything, I move the zipped files to a folder on a different hard drive. That way, should I accidentally delete some of the files from a kit, or something gets corrupted, I can go back to the original zip file and re-unzip it.

anneofalamo

10-26-2008, 05:02 PM

I had never even thought about saving zipped files...but do see the significance of some saved now...(thanks Charlie)

I unzip on a daily basis, and try and file (freebies) once a week. I keep designers and up and coming designers in there folders.

I like to go thru and totally clean up the files...so you can view file with a thumbnail. this means opening to last file and bringing up. It saves me later!

candi1973

10-26-2008, 05:13 PM

You ladies have been soooooooooooooooo helpful! You have helped me more than you'll ever know. I do not know why I was afraid to delete the zipped files, as I do back up my hard drive to a EHD.... I have even thought of saving purchased items to a DVD "JUST IN CASE", but that's kind of overkill I think....

Now that we have solved the unzip question, can any of you lovely ladies tell me if you delete any of the files within your download, for example, the kit preview if there's multiple views....or any of the other misc. files that show up that might have come from the designers program, etc.? I'd like to get rid of anything that I don't need....but wanted to make sure that deleting one file isn't going to goof anything up. I would think I could delete any file from the kit that I didn't want, but it's better to ask and be safe.

Again, thanks to all of you who have helped me soooo, soooo much!

Warm wishes,

Candi

anneofalamo

10-26-2008, 06:45 PM

I am so ashamed to admit when I first started the freebie addiction(downloading any and everything), I only kept what I wanted, trashed the rest and <gasp> never thank one person.
Then I came to a forum and began posting my layouts and saw credit being given, and met some of the people that give so freely...I was repentive and now make a point of giving full credit and I even like to go back to the designer and leave a comment to show the layout...if I used alot of her things or the whole kit!
I say all that, I take the kits I get and have main folder, it opens to preview, and TOU and another folder in it with Alphas, Elements and Papers. I clean them up so that it makes finding things easier. I want to be able to know who made the things I use. I think it is important and gosh I know how happy I get with a comment on a layout, how much more a designer that went thru the the creativity process, made it, then zipped it, uploaded it and blogged about it...if she ever begins selling, really I figure it works out to pennies per hour!

Charlie's Digiscraps

10-29-2008, 08:38 AM

:D Thanks ladies..you've inspired me to have a big cleanup of my files..again!!!!..its been a while..so I really should get onto it!

sharpli

10-29-2008, 07:49 PM

I delete evenything except the actual parts of a kit, a preview and the designer's TOU - I want to be able to give credit when I use her kit. I don't keep multiple previews or piracy notices.

Clean up - I found a wonderful way to get rid of multiple copies of the same file. Do a search by an important part of the name - i.e. gold, red, background, ribbon, bow, etc. When you get the results, sort by the file size, and your duplicate things will be next to each other and you can delete the unnecessary files. I gained a lot of new HD space after spending many hours doing this about a year ago. Maybe it's time to houseclean again.....?

allwright1

11-04-2008, 05:23 AM

I'm sorry didn't post this sooner... but I've been busy! I'm very lucky... I have my big puter 320gig laptop 75gig and external hd 1 terabite. I download everything to my laptop and extract to it first (I use it the most). I upload the zipped files to my external hd. When I'm running out of room on my laptop I go through my folders and move older stuff and things I don't use as much to my big puter... I can still use them easily enough... just not in the way on the laptop. I refuse to throw away the zip files... I don't want to lose anything! I've invested a lot of time and money in my digiscrap supplies I don't want to lose them. I've burned some zip files on cd and dvd's years ago but find they take up so much physical space I don't have... so it's easier to store them on the external hd. I have some programs I got years and years ago that I still have the zips for, moved them from puter to puter and wouldn't want to lose them. I know I'm a packrat... I can say I have a zip from 1992 and the program is so good I've moved it to each and every computer I've owned since!

anneofalamo

11-04-2008, 07:56 AM

just a quick note on the bulk of CD's...
we have hit upon a help in our home of 6 computer using people, 2 main computers and two laptops in house! lol
My hubby makes videos' (memory makers type and church vids) on the side
my kids are into games (so is hubby and me lol)
and me.......welll scrappin is HUGE

we went and got nice zip up CD holders...Kinda color coded...
hubby has Faux Leather, Kids are blue and mine match my office(yellow)!
We don't use the cases anymore. on original CD...we cut the box and slide in for where the cd goes..

on mine, they are in chronilogical order and seperated in 3 ways
pictures
scrap
layouts
I back up on Cd every 3 months....and in March (I take the full previous year and make a CD with all) and THROW away the 4 CD's that I used for back up. One CD, one year...actually it is a DVD at the end of year! lol
I still have my externals for working with, but this way I have it all backed up in case I crash...and cry for a long long time.
I don't keep any scrap stuff on my hard drive....all external and filed.

Amberpony

11-05-2008, 04:38 PM

After I unzip everything, I move the zipped files to a folder on a different hard drive. That way, should I accidentally delete some of the files from a kit, or something gets corrupted, I can go back to the original zip file and re-unzip it.

That is what I do.
BTW They say Zip Files are not as stable as regular files as long as storing them goes. So I am toying with the idea of deleting the zip files and just keeping a back up folder of my files on our BU only EHD. then work off the ones in my working EHD.